State School Superintendent Richard Woods has recognized four Douglas County High Schools as Advanced Placement Honor Schools.

Douglas County High School, Chapel Hill High School, Robert S. Alexander High School and Lithia Springs High School are among 685 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools State School Superintendent Woods named for 2018.

“Amazing things are happening in our high schools every day,” Douglas County Superintendent Trent North explains. “This distinction demonstrates the commitment our school system has made to setting high academic standards in all our schools. I commend the tremendous work our students and our educators are doing in all our high schools. “

Douglas County High School, Chapel Hill High School, and Robert S. Alexander High School had the additional distinction of being chosen as one of 69 AP Access and Support Schools. AP Access and Support Schools are schools with at least 30 percent of AP exams taken by students who identified themselves as African-American and/or Hispanic and 30 percent of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

Douglas County High School is one of 146 AP Stem Achievement Schools, which represents schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses and at least 40 percent of exam scores on AP math and science exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

Douglas County High School, Chapel Hill, Lithia Springs and Robert S. Alexander High School also hold the title of being a 2018 STEM School, representing 213 Georgia schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and at least two AP science courses.

Chapel Hill and Douglas County High School share the distinction of being two of 134 AP Humanities Schools, schools with students testing in the following AP courses: at least one ELA course, two social sciences courses, one fine arts course and one world language course.

“We know the AP program produces strong results – for example, the graduation rate for students who complete just one AP course is 98 percent,” Superintendent Woods says. “I commend the school leaders who are expanding access for their students, and the students and teachers in each of these schools who continue to pursue high-level learning.”

Advanced Placement courses are one of several ways Georgia students can access college-level learning at the high-school level; students who receive a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam may earn college credit.

The Georgia Department of Education began recognizing AP Honor Schools in 2008. AP STEM and AP STEM Achievement categories were added in 2011, and the AP Humanities category was added in 2015.